


Pint Sized Prompts January 2017

by SatuD2



Series: PintSized Prompts 2017 [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Drabble a day, Drabbles, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, January, Mostly Gen, Pint-sized Prompts, Some Humor, Variable genres, Variable moods, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-14 01:52:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 8,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9152038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatuD2/pseuds/SatuD2
Summary: A collection of Pint-Sized Prompts from the /r/fanfiction subreddit but the lovely /u/Atojiso.January: New and Strange





	1. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 1st: Found - 100 words - Your character finds one (two-headed dog) of (emu with arms) these (triclops kitten). (Your choice.) Is it real, some sort of alien, has science finally gone too far?!
> 
> One guess which one I chose :P

“Wake up!”

Chiaotzu stirred and groaned; “What is it, Tien?”

“I found a kitten! Can I keep it?”

Chiaotzu squinted at the small triclops beside him. “Master Shen won’t let us keep a kitten, Tien.”

“Please! Look: he’s just like me!”

Chiaotzu blinked at the ginger kitten in Tien’s hands. It looked angry, glaring at him with three eyes. Tien’s own three eyes were brimming with hopeful tears.

“Please…?”

Chiaotzu hesitated, then nodded. “We need to hide him though.” Tien laughed and hugged the cat to his chest as Chiaotzu smiled. Now he had two little triclops’ to care for.


	2. Cloudy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 2nd: Cloudy - 200 words - Character has a very literal personal raincloud today.
> 
> Characters: Piccolo & Gohan, Kami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after the return from Namek

Piccolo growled to himself as he curled tighter into his meditative position. Gentle rain pattered off the top of his turban and the broad mantles of his cape. As he grew more annoyed the rain increased, fat droplets running down his face and soaking his purple gi.

“Piccolo?”

His eyes opened and he glared instinctively towards the voice. Gohan, now used to this greeting, simply waved and smiled uncertainly. Seeing the boy, Piccolo softened slightly and the rain eased off.

“What do you want, Gohan?”

“Uh…is that..?”

Piccolo glanced upwards. The small dark raincloud hovering above his head rewarded him with a flurry of drops directly into his eyes. He cursed in Namekian and a tiny lightning bolt flickered.

“Kami’s drunk again,” Piccolo said shortly, wiping water from his eyes. “He thinks this is hilarious.”

 _I’m not drunk!_ Kami said indignantly in his mind.

“Shut up, old man,” Piccolo said aloud, and glared at Gohan as the boy started to laugh hysterically. “I can’t help with your homework today, Gohan. I’ll get the pages wet." 

“Sure thing, Piccolo.” Gohan wiped a tear away and grinned. “I’ll just sit here for a bit, if you don’t mind. This is pretty great.”


	3. Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 3rd: Face - 100 words - Describe a character having the feeling portrayed in this picture: http://i.imgur.com/IxhRw5i.jpg
> 
> Characters: Yamcha & Puar

“Are you okay?”

Puar let out a little squeaking groan, her eyes slitted and a despairing grimace contorting her face. Yamcha gently patted her head, a sympathetic smile inching suspiciously close to incredibly amused. She hissed and bared small sharp teeth.

“Puar, don’t be like that. You’re the one who morphed and went mud-diving. Now you can’t morph again for an hour and you need a bath!”

She opened her eyes enough to fix him with an icy glare. She hated baths. Particularly when it was Yamcha shampooing mud out of her fur. He was always so _smug_ about it.


	4. The Fourth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 4th: The Fourth - 300 words - Break the 4th wall.
> 
> Characters: Vegeta & Goku

“This is bullshit.”

Goku glanced over to Vegeta, one eyebrow raising and a curious smile spreading on his face.

“Who are you talking to, Vegeta?”

“Doesn’t matter, Kakarot. You keep eating dinner.”

Vegeta lifted his head, his eyes narrowed as they darted back and forth. Goku shrugged and bent his head back to his bowl, using his chopsticks to shovel food into his mouth. An irritated twitch started in Vegeta’s eyebrow as a furious snarl pulled at his features.

“They’re _watching_ ,” he growled quietly.

“Hmm?” Goku’s mouth was completely full of dumplings at this point.

“Never mind, Kakarot. You can’t see them.”

“See who?” His words were muffled by some katsu pork, the long crumbed slices hanging from the corners of his mouth.

Vegeta’s eyes narrowed, still flicking back and forth. When he spoke his voice was a low hiss that barely registered to Goku.

“ _The words…_ ”

“Words?”

Vegeta growled, his appetite silenced by the disgusting descriptions of Goku’s eating. “They’re…just floating there. They appear as we speak and move. They’re _mocking me_.”

Goku lifted his eyes and swept them back and forth over the clear blue sky. He clearly couldn’t see anything. Or maybe he couldn’t read. Vegeta wasn’t quite sure.

“Stay out of my head!” Vegeta shouted as he shook one fist at the words that floated out of nothing and circled around him. They were definitely mocking him, he decided. Potent rage flooded him, making him shoot to his feet and snarl as the words before his eyes tinged with red.

Goku had stopped eating and was now staring at Vegeta with wide, concerned eyes.

“Don’t you say a fucking word!” Vegeta snarled at him. Flinging his hands out a blast of ki he had been quietly gathering struck the

words

and sh

a

ttered

  

the

 

m…


	5. Tickle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 5th: Tickle - 100 words - The Tickle Monster is real and out to get your character!
> 
> Characters: Goten & Gohan, Tien & Chiaotzu

Goten toddled through the forest, his wide eyes sparkling with joy as he searched. He was looking for his brother. They were playing hide and seek. Gohan was really good at hiding. But he’d find him. He couldn’t hide forever!

He heard fast footsteps behind him and broke into a run, a delighted laugh escaping his lips. The game had changed. No longer hide-and-seek, now it was chasey. Chasey was the best!

He let out a squeal as he was scooped up in strong arms. Gohan started laughing too as he tickled Goten’s sides. Chasey was the best game ever!

* * *

“Chao!" 

Chiaotzu froze. The voice was high and choked with…tears? Fear? It had echoed in his mind as much as his ears and for that reason it took a moment to orientate himself and start sprinting.

“Tien!” he called, searching desperately for the toddler. He’d been right behind him a second ago. Kami, he couldn’t have gotten far!

He skidded to a halt in a clearing, a relieved smile forming. Tien was rolling around in the middle, laughing until tears streamed down his face, as a featured creature sniffed curiously at him. Oh good, it was just a tickle monster.


	6. Drink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 6th: Drink - 100 words - A character drinks something that makes them...?
> 
> Characters: Krillin/18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That makes them...feel funny (or did it!?)  
> Set after the Cell Games saga

“You’re looking…funny.” A glance from icy-blue eyes, and the fluttering of the butterflies that always followed. “You okay?”

“…I dunno.” He did know. He couldn’t tell _her_ that though. Not when she was starting to trust him. He didn’t want to spoil things.

“You’re blushing,” she said in a monotone.

He flushed more under her stare, aware of how hot it was suddenly.

“That OJ must’ve been bad,” he said.

She raised one eyebrow, then bent and kissed him slowly, thoroughly. She pulled away, leaving him stunned.

With just a hint of a smile she said, “Yeah, that’s probably it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Krillin and 18... At least it's supposed to be! I guess it can be whoever you want it to be XD


	7. Puppeteer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 7th: Puppeteer - Super Saturday word count - pay an escalation cost for each additional add-on.  
> (ex. Manipulative + injury OR twist OR style = 600 words; Manipulative + 2 picks = 800 words; Manipulative + all picks = 1,000 words.)  
> • 400 words Today your heroes are up against a Manipulative Bastard  
> • +200 words - One of your main characters suffers a serious injury.  
> • +200 words - A dramatic plot twist that is so obvious that the [heroes] assume it's fake.  
> • +200 words - Write it in noir style.
> 
> Characters: Tien & Chiaotzu, Shen, Tao Pai Pai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I chose Manipulative + Injury for a cool 600 words to work with. After these little 100 words, it's a real difference!
> 
> This is set sometime between the end of DB and the start of DBZ, a period of five years with no canon to speak of! So I figured...since Shen and Tao don't show up in Z again...why not have a...confrontation of sorts!

Tien burst into the room and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Chiaotzu sitting in a high-backed chair, his eyes wide and frightened. Strong hands were pressing the boy into the seat by his shoulders, keeping him still.

“Don’t hurt him.” Tien’s voice was supposed to be confident. Instead it trembled on the last word and betrayed his fear.

“Oh, Tienshinhan, why would we hurt him? You should know us better than that…”

Tien bared his teeth in a snarl as Shen smiled and Tao pressed harder on Chiaotzu’s shoulders. A wince of pain touched Chiaotzu’s features and Tien clenched his fists.

Damn. He was right where they wanted him; on the verge of panic, his terror for his brother clouding his rational thought. And though he still had the insight to recognise this there wasn’t anything he could do about it. The glimmer of tears in Chiaotzu’s eyes, the pain that tugged at his mouth whenever Tao’s hands bore down. It all overwhelmed him with rage.

“Let him go! We both know you don’t want him; he’s never humiliated you like I have!”

Shen’s smile twisted into a sneer and Tao’s metallic implants flashed in the dim light as he tilted his head. “Humiliated us? Tienshinhan, you _more_ than humiliated us. You turned the Crane into the scum of the martial arts world. Our name, once exalted for producing fine, upstanding warriors, is now looked down upon as a hive of cheats and liars. Of murderers.”

“Well you _are_!” Tien cried. “You _are_ all murderers! It’s not a lie, it’s the _truth!_ ”

Shen was silent, but cast a look towards Tao. The assassin nodded and in one quick movement pressed down on Chiaotzu’s left shoulder. The snap was muffled but seemed to ring in Tien’s ears. Chiaotzu let out an involuntary whimper as tears spilled onto his cheeks.

Tien flinched backwards and lowered his head. He even found himself putting his hands behind his back, an obedient little boy once again, and gritted his teeth as Shen chuckled.

“You both were of the Crane. Were you liars and cheats and murderers as well?”

“Yes,” Tien hissed, keeping his third eye fixed on Chiaotzu. The boy was biting hard on his lower lip, his eyes slitted against pain and tears, his left hand lying limply on his lap while his right was balled into a tight fist.

“What was that?”

“Yes,” he repeated, raising his voice. “We were. We were overconfident, arrogant, vicious murderers. It’s taken us _years_ to recover from your influence.”

Chiaotzu’s eyes were shining, both with tears and a tangible pride that wrapped around Tien’s heart and warmed him to his core. Tao glanced at Shen again, now uncertain.

Tien straightened, feeling that old familiar confidence sweep through him.

“Now, if you let him go we will leave and never bother you again. If you do not…” Tien’s eyes flashed in the dark. “Then I will kill you both. And not lose a minute’s sleep over it.”

Shen and Tao cowered in the face of his rage. They hadn’t expected this. They’d thought in controlling Chiaotzu they would disarm the much stronger triclops. They had made a terrible mistake. 

They fled. Chiaotzu slumped in the chair, his right hand steadying his left shoulder, and started to sob.

“I’m so sorry, Chiaotzu,” Tien said, his rage disappearing, his voice and hands gentle as he scooped the boy into his arms. “I’ve got you. You’re safe…”

Chiaotzu smiled through his tears, raised his right hand and rested it on Tien’s cheek.

“I’m so proud of you, Tien…”


	8. I Knew It!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 8th: I Knew It! - 100 words - Someone finds out that a character has been living a double life all along!
> 
> Characters: Videl/Gohan, Pan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime during DBS, when Pan is just a tiny baby :)
> 
> It always annoyed me that Videl went from this kick-ass, tomboyish fighting badass to a timid stay-at-home mum with a bob. So I fixed it :D

“I _knew_ it!”

Videl froze halfway out the window. Gohan was in the doorway, holding Pan on one hip. She ducked back into the room, blushing beneath her helmet.

“You’re still fighting!”

Videl fiddled with the hem of her cape. “I don’t want to just be a stay at home mum, Gohan! I just wanna fight a little bit of crime!”

Gohan smiled, embraced her and kissed her temple. “Of course, hun, that’s fine! Just be safe, okay?”

Her eyes lit up. The Great Saiyawoman was back on the streets!

Across town Krillin shuddered suddenly. His vigilante sense was tingling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of a shoutout to the November 12th 2016 prompt (Sneak, an inexplicable ninja appears) at the end there :P Couldn't help myself!


	9. Pleonasm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 9th: Pleonasm - 100 words - Your character is bugging someone by describing something using pleonasms.
> 
> Characters: Vegeta/Bulma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set sometime after the Cell Saga, not exactly sure when :P
> 
> Pleonasm: the additional and extra use of added, spare, unnecessary, redundant (superfluous or surplus), unneeded and uncalled-for words in addition to, and on top of, what is necessary or essential. Or required. Or obligatory or vital or requisite or crucial.

“Oh you’re so handsome! You have a certain…presence, a certain je nais said quoi, so whenever you’re in the room my eyes are drawn to your studly body. You’re so powerful, so magnificent, so marvellously strong and muscular. You are so athletic, yet rugged. Tough, yet forceful. Just being around your intense eyes and severe glare makes me quite dizzy. It sends shivers down my spine!”

These words hung in the air for a moment as Bulma covered her mouth.

“You’re…you’re mocking me, aren’t you?”

She giggled as Vegeta glowered at her. “A little! You’re so cute when you preen!!”


	10. Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 10th: Cards - 300 words - Someone loses a character in a card game.
> 
> Characters: Tien & Chiaotzu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one ran away from me a little bit and I liked it too much to cut it down
> 
> This is another origin story. Have way too many of them floating around in my head :P

Kami-damned kid had been lurking at the edge of the alley all night. He was maybe eight? Ten? He was tall and lanky, all gangly limbs and awkward angles, and had shaggy black hair that hung low into his eyes.

He had been watching the games with interest, observing the cards as they flipped, the winners and losers that had approached his table. Most of his attention, however, had been focused on the kid Oka had picked to run the game today. That kid – Chao or whatever – had a disconcerting face even with the black eye, making a rigged game even easier to pull off.

The kid approached the table. He offered a crooked smile and a handful of stained coins.

“Is this enough to play?” he asked innocently. Chao glanced at Oka, who nodded. Let the kid lose his pocket money, what did it matter.

Chao flipped the cards, shuffled them, asked in a flat voice if the kid understood the rules. The kid nodded and leaned slightly on the table, his eyes fixed on the cards as Chao placed and mixed them, revealed the joker, mixed them again. The kid hesitated, then laid his hands flat on the table and looked Oka directly in the eye.

“If I win, what do I get?”

“Money. That’s how these games usually work.”

The kid glanced down at Chao, who was staring at the cards with blank eyes.

“If I win I want him.” Chao swung his head up as Oka scoffed.

“Him? Why?” The kid shrugged. Chao fidgeted and avoided Oka’s stare. What did it matter? The game was rigged anyway. “Okay fine. You win, you get Chao.”

“The joker is under the table,” the kid said confidently. “Stuck on the left. These three cards are the two of diamonds, the five of clubs and an ace, either of spades or clubs.” He pointed to each as he named them, and Chao (bastard child) obediently flipped them over as he did. He was right on all of them.

Oka glowered, but the kid reached out, snagged Chao’s hand, and pulled him away faster than Oka could catch up. Screw it, he’d find a new weirdo to run the game.

* * *

 A few blocks away the kid ducked into an alley, pulling Chiaotzu with him, and grinned. “You okay?” 

Chiaotzu didn’t answer at first, keeping his eyes down and fiddling with the hem of his ragged shirt. Then eventually he found the strength to say, “Why did you help me?”

“Because you looked scared, even under the blank look.” The kid emulated it, widening his eyes and flattening his mouth. “I’ve been there before. I’m Tien, by the way.”

“I’m Chiaotzu.” He was surprised when Tien grabbed his hand and shook it, grinning. “How did you know where the card was?”

Tien’s smile slanted, became sly. “Nothing gets past my eyes,” he said, and lifted his fringe to reveal a third eye that winked at Chiaotzu, surprising a giggle out of him.


	11. "Accidental"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 11th: "Accidental" - 100 words - Gif prompt - http://i.imgur.com/V5t6DrW.gif
> 
> Characters: Piccolo & Gohan & Goku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during the three years they're training for the Androids :D

“Is this necessary?”

“Please? You’ll feel better.” 

Piccolo let out a long suffering sigh, and stomped towards Goku. “I’m sorry I tried to kill you and take over the world and then killed you for real and then kidnapped your son to use as a pawn.” Goku blinked at him. Piccolo glanced towards Gohan who gestured for him to continue. Another sigh. “I’m…sorry…”

Goku grinned. “It’s all good. Gohan likes you so you must be okay.”

Piccolo looked back at Gohan, who smiled enthusiastically. He didn’t feel any better, but at least Gohan was happy. That was the important thing.


	12. Second

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 12th: Second - 200 - Write from 2nd person perspective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is set during the Saiyan saga while the news cameras are still broadcasting the fight between the good guys and the Saiyans. This is also before aliens and massive threats to the Earth were super common in the DBZ world, so I played with that concept a little bit :) Hopefully it's decent, I've not written in second person before!

You sigh and roll your eyes as you flip through the channels. It’s been a slow news day, apparently. There’s been no floods or fires or wars. Nothing that grabs your attention. It’s all fluff pieces. This kitten can ride a jetski! This Labrador just got their doctorate in nanorobotics! This squirrel found a super big nut! 

Nothing exciting. 

You land on a sci-fi show. It’s set out like a news broadcast, they even got the regular news guy to cameo! But it’s about aliens. You hate aliens. 

You almost change the channel, away from the round alien ‘pods’ (how could it even fly, it has no jet propulsion system!?) then are captivated by the scene that shows next. 

They’ve really committed to the bit! Filming from a shaky copter so far away. That’s dedication to good cinematography; it _almost_ feels real. 

You watch the weird looking protagonists (green dude? Short baldy? Three eyes? Mime kid? The only normal ones are the five year old and the scarred dude) face up against the ‘aliens’ (they look more normal than the humans, stupid show) and then one by one most of the protagonists die.

You roll your eyes and click away.


	13. Whump

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 13th: Whump - 100 words - Friday the 13th is known throughout the infinite multiverses as a day of bad luck. Unfortunately, your character has run out of good luck and has nothing but whump today. (Whump = the physical/psychological hurting/torture of a beloved character. On the hurt/comfort spectrum, it's almost completely the bad stuff.)
> 
> Characters: Tien & Chiaotzu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Utilising the multiverse theory (which is canon in the DBZ universe!) this is set in an AU and back when Tien and Chiaotzu are still kids, and still students of the Crane School.

Chiaotzu curled up into a ball, leaning against the door as though his weight would keep anyone out. His eyes stared blankly ahead, red raw patches beneath them where he had scrubbed the tears away with vicious swipes of his sleeves.

The bed was cold. The lump beneath the blanket completely still. He’d pulled the blanket up to hide the still face and closed eyes, unable to look at them anymore.

The Kikoho had claimed another victim. Despite his hopes and prayers to a Kami he no longer believed in, Tien’s life-force had flickered and gone out. 

Chiaotzu was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And sadly, this is a universe where Tien did not survive learning the Kikoho :( < / 3


	14. Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 14th: Dream - Super Saturday wordcount - - pay an escalation cost for each add-on.  
> · 400 words - Your character sees someone that they NEED to see in a dream/vision/hallucination.  
> · +200 words - This (http://i.imgur.com/EW8idd0.jpg) is your setting. Describe it in detail.  
> · +200 - Other person reveals a massive secret that character would have no way of knowing... unless this is... REAL?!?!  
> · +200 - The mood is: tearjerking, bittersweet, and hopeful (optional song inspiration: Los Angeles - Peter Bradley Adams
> 
> Characters: Tien & OC & Chiaotzu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An addit of sorts to my current WIP, _Raising a Triclops_. Specifically to Chapter 13, when Tien is unconscious following the first use of the Kikoho :) I have hopefully hit all of the stretch goals for an even 1K words :D
> 
> So takes place before Tien and Chiaotzu are formally introduced in canon when Tien is about 11 years old.

Fireflies flitted in the dim twilight, their faint yellow glow highlighting delicate flowers in the wide meadow. In the middle of the meadow stood a tall, tree, its limbs strong, its leaves rustling in a gentle breeze. Against the tree leaned a young boy, his eyes peacefully closed.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

The voice startled him and he jolted forward, his eyes wide. A tall woman was standing beside him, looking out at the meadow.

She was familiar. He wasn’t sure why. Something in the shy curve of her smile, the warm kindness in her eyes. It was like coming home…

“Yes,” he said eventually, his voice uncertain. Her smile widened slightly as she glanced at him. “How did you get here?”

“A better question is how  _ you _ got here,” she said and laughed. Even her laugh was gentle, a soft melodious sound that made him feel warm.

“I…woke up here,” he said uncertainly. She shook her head. “I didn’t? I…” He trailed off, frowning as he tried to think.

“Where are we?” she asked. When he didn’t answer she sat on the ground beside him and pulled her knees up to her chest. “We’re in heaven.”

“Heaven?” A thin needle of fear pierced him. She laid her hand over his. It was cold and made a shiver twist up his arm. “Am…I dead?”

“No, sweetie, you’re not dead.” She squeezed his hand and then let go. It was a relief, in a way, but he found he missed her touch as well. It had been comforting, even if it was cold. “You came close though.”

“So…I’m not dead?”

She gave him a slow, patient smile. So familiar. Where had he seen that smile before?

“No, Tien, you’re not dead. Chiaotzu is taking care of you.”

“How do you know my name?” Tien snarled, surprised into anger. “How do you know Chiaotzu? How do you know  _ any _ of this!?”

Her smile widened. Dimples appeared in the middle of her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and the glimmer of tears in the twilight.

“I’m Jiaozi. I’m…Chiaotzu’s mother,” she said softly. “I’ve been watching him, ever since I ended up here. I’ve watched him as he’s struggled under Shen’s teachings, through his loneliness and his pain. I’ve watched him raise you, as though you were his own.” Tears spilled down her pale cheeks and she absentmindedly wiped them away. “He’s been so strong, so brave.”

As she spoke the distrust in Tien dwindled and blinked out. Chiaotzu had clearly taken after her. Her smile and her laugh and the way she spoke; it was all so obvious now. How hadn’t he seen it before?

“He’s taken real good care of me,” he said awkwardly. “You should be proud.”

Her smile broke into a luminous grin. “I am! I am so,  _ so _ proud.” A short silence stretched between them as her smile faltered and she said; “Tien, can I ask you a favour…?”

Tien considered briefly, then nodded. “I suppose so?”

“When the time comes…can you promise you won’t leave Chiaotzu behind?”

“What?”

She avoided his eyes. “When you’ve both lost everything. When you’ve put your very lives on the line. You for your morals, him for his heart. If you leave him behind after that…he will have nothing.”

“Of course I won’t leave him behind,” Tien said. “He’s my brother. I…love him…” He trailed off, flushing, as she looked at him. It felt odd, somehow, saying it aloud. Shen would’ve been furious.

“He loves you too,” Jiaozi said gently. “You’re the only good thing left in his life. Shen stole everything away, bit by bit, until my boy was only an empty shell. And then you turned up.”

She put an arm around his shoulders. The cold made him shiver, but the touch made him feel warm and secure at the same time. It reminded him of Chiaotzu, holding him close, comforting him after a bad dream or a bad day. His heart broke a little in his chest and he looked up at her.

“Is he okay? While I’m here…is he okay?”

“He’s protecting you,” she said simply. “But he is hurting. He has realised how much he has to lose now.”

This troubled Tien deeply, niggling at him, and he frowned. “When will I wake up?”

“Soon.”

“Will…I remember you? When I wake up? Will I remember heaven?”

She smiled. “Maybe somewhere deep down in your subconscious. Maybe you’ll have the vague sense of déjà vu if Chiaotzu ever speaks of me, or of the tree near our home. Maybe you’ll have dreams where you hear my voice and see the glimmer of fireflies far off in the distance. But maybe not. I can’t really say for sure.”

He frowned. “Then why make me promise? If I won’t remember?”

“To make me feel better. Take care of my boy for me, Tien. It was lovely meeting his brother properly.”

He opened his mouth to ask her what she meant, but then a curtain came crashing down and everything was black. The cold was gone and he was wonderfully warm, nestled in soft sheets on a hard mattress.

And from the blackness, the voice of his brother, high and sweet and relieved.

“Tien! You’re okay!”

“Chao…zu…?” His mouth and mind felt like they were full of cotton wool. He was trembling. When he opened his eyes his vision was blurry, Chiaotzu’s skin a glimmer in the dark. “Wha…hap…?”

“You’re back.” Chiaotzu started to cry. That wasn’t right. Chiaotzu shouldn’t be crying. Tien frowned as he reached up and touched Chiaotzu’s cheek, smearing the tears sideways.

“Back? Where…did I…go?” He couldn’t remember. Everything was black.

“I thought you were going to leave me. I thought I was going to be alone again… You can’t scare me like that.”

Tien pulled the smaller boy into his arms, feeling the tears soaking into his thin shirt. He was home. Where he needed to be.

“I’ll never leave…” he murmured, closing his eyes. “I…promised…”


	15. Holey Cow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 14th: Holey Cow - 100 words - The villian uses a portable hole to escape the heroes.
> 
> Characters: Videl/Gohan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during the time when Gohan and Videl were fighting crime as the Great Saiyaman & Saiyawoman team :D

“This is bloody ridiculous.”

Gohan bent and touched the black disk their enemy had disappeared into. It crumpled as he poked it, lifting up from the tarmac. Videl crossed her arms and glowered as he picked it up and waved it, wondering if the magician they’d been chasing would fall back out of it.

“This is, by far, the dumbest thing that’s ever happened.”

“Oh I don’t know about that.” Gohan grinned winningly. “I’ve seen some crazy stuff.”

Videl rolled her eyes but didn’t push it. He was her half-alien boyfriend who’d been to space; he’d probably win that argument.


	16. The World Needs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 15th: The World Needs - 300 words - The world needs more femslash. I'm thinking some sassy cuddles will fit the bill quite nicely. It doesn't matter whether you use in-universe women or genderswap your favorite peep(s).
> 
> Characters: Female!Vegeta/Bulma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have genderswapped Vegeta for this because he's the sassiest XD So here we have Female!Vegeta (didn't change her name, couldn't think of anything better) being antagonised by Bulma :)

“Oh come on, pookie, don’t be like that.”

“Don’t ‘pookie’ me! This is _bullshit_! You can rot in hell with the rest of your pathetic race!” 

“Awww, did you have a bad day in the gravity chamber?” Bulma sidled closer and gently toyed with the hair of the woman beside her. “Did you break all the bones in your legs again?”

Vegeta snarled and batted Bulma’s hand away. Fury blazed bright in her dark eyes.

“Oh, Veggie, c’mon now.” Bulma was vaguely aware that she was cooing now. Vegeta was _so hot_ when she was mad. Her spiked hair got even spikier, the fire in her eyes blazed even brighter. When she was really furious she even flushed high in the points of her cheeks, something that made Bulma’s heart flutter.

“Don’t call me _Veggie_ ,” Vegeta growled. “I _hate_ that name!”

“Yeah, I know.” Bulma smirked. Vegeta scowled. Before Bulma could goad further she was flipped upside down, carried on one of Vegeta’s shoulders. One of Vegeta’s arms secured behind her knees and one hand was placed delicately on her butt. Probably to ‘stabilise’ her. Totally no benefit for the Saiyan princess at all.

“We’ll see who’s the ‘pookie’ now!” Vegeta said triumphantly. Bulma started to laugh, pounding on the Saiyan amour Vegeta _insisted_ on wearing.

“Put me down, Vegeta!” Bulma’s laughter trailed to giggles that occasionally soared into a squeal of amusement and faux outrage as Vegeta made sharp turns and squeezed her butt at intervals. She was even swapping between the cheeks! Cheeky bitch!

“Not until you take back that _atrocious nickname_ ,” Vegeta said. She let out a little chuckle of her own as she spun in a tight circle. Bulma shrieked and grabbed at the blue spandex clad buttocks before her. Two could play at this game!


	17. Cover Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 17th: Cover Up - 100 words - Whether they've been issued new uniforms or just need to dress differently to fit into a setting, everyone is now wearing stripperiffic clothing.
> 
> Characters: Videl/Gohan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again set when the Great Saiyaman and Great Saiyawoman are the best crime-fighting team on the streets of Metro West (west? East? Can't remember).

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.”

Videl’s eyes were like ice when her gaze finally met Gohan’s. He was flushing.

“It’s all the rage, Videl, Bulma said so!”

Videl gestured to the skimpy leotard, thigh-high boot combo that was now her Great Saiyawoman outfit.

“What was wrong with the gi? With the cape? With the helmet!? This one doesn’t even hide my face!” 

Gohan’s eyes flicked to her face, then settled on her cleavage.

“T-to be honest, Videl, I don’t think anyone’s going to be looking at your face.”

“Get her to change it back!” she snarled.

“Yes, ma’am,” Gohan said and scuttled away.


	18. Timey Wimey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 18th: Timey Wimey - 300 words - Time is a complicated thing. Push the envelope today by using present day AND a flashback AND a significant forward time skip in today's story.
> 
> Characters: Krillin/18, Marron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set...in a bunch of times! :D Is pretty easy to figure out :)

“I fucking _hate_ you...”

Her voice was a strained growl. The bones in his hand creaked as she tightened her grip. The pain didn’t register. He was so happy. He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her temple, tasting the salt of her sweat.

“I love you so much, 18.”

“Fuck you! Fuck you and the horse you ro-“ She broke off. Her chin met her chest, her eyes closed, her breath caught. A pause, another push and then a slippery, pink infant was placed onto her chest.

There was a moment of awed silence. Krillin looked at their baby. His heart, already so full, swelled until almost bursting. Tears prickled in his eyes.

“She’s perfect.”

* * *

_He was so afraid. The androids loomed over him, tall and imposing. Her eyes were like chips of ice, chilling him down to the bone. His friends were hurt, and he was frozen in fear. These androids would kill them all. Trunks had told them that. In his future all of them were dead because of these two._

_She approached him. Her steps were light and her movements sure. She bent at the waist, her hair falling in a golden curtain to frame her face. Terror soared and he recoiled. A small, slanted smile touched her lips. Despite the malicious glint in her eye, that smile made his stomach flutter in a way he recognised and was immediately ashamed of._

_“See you later, cutie,” she said, then gently kissed his cheek. Instead of the cold, metallic touch he’d expected, her lips were warm and soft. As they left and he dispensed senzu beans to his unconscious friends he cursed his mind for lingering on that kiss._

_She was perfect._

* * *

 

Age had hit him a lot harder than it had hit her. His hair was steadily turning a brilliant white, and his face was deeply lined from years of laughter. Her hair was still golden. Her wrinkles were barely noticeable beside her eyes. She still gave him that same slanted smile whenever he cracked one of his jokes. 

Their baby was all grown up. Marron was now an adult and had moved out on her own. She often came to dinner, bringing bottles of wine and stories of her life. When she’d visit the house would be full of laughter and he would feel his heart swelling with joy and pride. 

His girls. They were perfect.


	19. Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 19th: Box - 100 words - Everyone loves surprises! Or do they? Muahahaha, a mystery box has appeared in front of your character. Will they choose the box or the other really tempting thing nearby?
> 
> Characters: Goten & Trunks & Gohan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set when Goten and Trunks are still little kids :)

Goten and Trunks both bent closer to look at the mysterious box that Gohan had put in front of them.

“Now, you’ve got to decide: take the box…or take training with me and Piccolo. Up to you.”

Oh that was a tough one. They _loved_ being trained by Gohan and Piccolo. The pair offered the right combination of tough love and gentle encouragement. But then…who could turn down a mystery?

“The box!”

Gohan grinned and lifted the lid. “You made your choice,” he said ominously. The boys groaned as they lifted two algebra workbooks out of the box.


	20. Pun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 20th: Pun - 100 words - Set up a really good pun today! Prompter hides under desk and prepares for hatemail.
> 
> Characters: Gohan & Goku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I suck at puns XD Oh well! Set when Gohan's a little kid! Don't know exactly when.

Goku wrapped one arm tight around Gohan’s shoulders, holding his son close to his side. A turn to the side, sheltering Gohan from the vicious gaze of the monster that was staring at them.

“You need to leave, Gohan,” Goku said quietly.

“But, dad, I wanna stay! I wanna help!”

“The only way we’re going to win this fight is with an epic pun. And I’m all punned out.” Goku offered a tight-lipped smile. “So…Gohan home, Gohan.”

A prolonged silence. Gohan let out a groan and put his face in his hands. The monster was defeated. But at what cost!?


	21. After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 21st: After - Super Saturday word count - - pay an escalation cost for each add-on.  
> • 400 words - Congratulations, your characters have survived an apocalypse! Now what?  
> • +200 words - Journal/diary/epistolary format.  
> • +200 words - Your setting for today. (http://i.imgur.com/hexD0da.jpg)  
> • +200 words - Give them a Bolivian Army ending
> 
> Characters: Chiaotzu & Tien & Dende

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we have, I suppose, a Zombie AU on our hands. 
> 
> Set at somepoint after the Cell Games saga so that Dende is Kami of earth. Otherwise doesn't really fit into any other timeline. Enjoy!

Dear Diary,

Everything’s gone. Every _one_ ’s gone. It’s like the whole world has gone silent. I’d never realised how loud everyone’s minds were, even from all the way up here in the Northern Wastes. Now it’s totally silent. For the first time it’s just me in my own head.

Well. Me and Tien. 

He’s gone out. I don’t know where. He said he needed to get some supplies. He didn’t specify what exactly. He probably has to scrounge for food. Or find some firewood. Or to bury the bodies of our friends.

They must be dead. They’re silent too. Goku’s exuberance, Vegeta’s pride, Krillin’s humour, Piccolo’s confidence, Gohan’s excitement, Yamcha’s cockiness. Even Dende’s quiet kindness. It’s all gone. I don’t

I can’t 

* * *

Dear Diary,

Sorry I broke off so sharply last time. It all got a bit much for me. I’m sure you understand.

Tien is still out. I think he must be burying our friends. We’ve been scattered all over the world for so long. It’ll take him time to find everyone and make sure they’re respectful. Hopefully the animals haven’t

Anyway. It’s been maybe three months since the ‘event’. I guess that’s what we need to call it. I don’t know the details. The sky went black and then red. Everyone’s minds called out and then fell silent. It was the worst thing. Like. It hurt. It hurt so, so much. I can’t find the 

Oh Tien’s back. I’ll let you know what he found.

* * *

Dear Diary,

Dende’s alive! Tien found Dende! He bought him back here and he’s safe with us now! I’m so excited. I was so happy to see him I couldn’t stop flying around for hours. Tien isn’t excited. He’s been very still and solemn and quiet. He doesn’t talk a lot anymore. It’s kind of scary. But I suppose I can understand why. It’s been a hard few months.

Dende is very quiet too. He’s lost in his grief I think. He told us that Piccolo left to save Gohan. But he never came back. Dende has been hiding out on the Lookout ever since, using his Kami powers to see what is happening on the surface. We asked, but he won’t tell us. Or can’t. He just keeps repeating the words “They’re dead, they’re all dead” over and over again until I had to take him to bed. Tien couldn’t. He was

Tien’s gone out again. I wish he would talk to me. I wish he’d let me come with him. I could help. I could take it.

I’d be okay. 

* * *

Dear Diary,

I don’t know why I bother writing to you.

No one’s listening. No one cares. 

* * *

Dear Diary,

Please forgive me for being so rude last time. I was just scared, I guess.

Tien came back. I sat him down and had strong words with him. It’s the first time we’ve really fought in a long time. What better time than the end of the world? He’s agreed that he’ll tell me what he’s been seeing out there. But not today. Hopefully tomorrow. He needs to sleep first, ruminate on it. Find the words. Dende said he’ll try to help. He’s still grieving, even more than Tien and I are. Everyone on earth is gone. He loved them all. They were all his people. And he watched them die.

Hopefully they can tell me after some sleep.

* * *

Dear Diary,

Apparently it’s like a zombie thing? Or a parasite? People have had the life crushed from them and now they’re coming back. They’re walking around. Tien has been finding our friends and…and killing them. Again. He tried talking to them at first. Tried to bring them back here, to safety. But they tried to kill him. They tried to bite him. He had to kill them, he said. They would have killed him if he hadn’t, he said.

But he couldn’t meet my eyes.

Dende backed him up on it though. So I suppose I can believe it.

It hurts. Thinking about our friends.

I had to go outside. I watched the sunset from the roof of the cabin. The clouds were low. The whole sky lit up red, like fire. Or blood. The mountains around our cabin looked like knives. Tien came and sat beside me. I couldn’t say anything. He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his lap and held me while I cried. I’d needed to cry. I’ve been trying so hard to be strong. I’d forgotten to decompress.

Tien always knows. What to say. What to do. How to help. He’s a really good friend. 

* * *

Dear Diary,

Tien has gone out again. He’s going to try to find Vegeta and Bulma now. Even though he promised I could come out next time I’ve decided it’s not a good idea. I’m going to stay here to take care of Dende. He’s become flat (I guess?) since Tien admitted to killing the others. Killing Piccolo. He won’t get out of bed. He won’t drink anything. I need to pull him out of bed and force him to drink.

I’m really worried about him. I don’t know how much longer he’s going to last if I’m the only one here to keep him alive. 

He doesn’t want to live. That’s the problem. How can I fix that? Even when all of the Namekians were killed by Frieza and Vegeta, he wanted to live. How am I supposed to bring his heart back? His soul? I’m only me. I don’t have that power.

* * *

 

Dear Diary, 

They’re around us. All around us. People. Demons. I don’t know how they found us. They’ve surrounded our cabin. Tien never came home. Dende is still too shocked and apathetic to help. He’s been lying in bed all day. It’s up to me. I’m going to get rid of them all.

I’ll be back when I can.

In the meantime, if you find this... 

I love you, Tien. You’re my best friend, always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter now has a sequel! See Chap 28 - Quest.


	22. Noodle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 22nd: Noodle - 100 words - Your characters refer to an infamous incident that was never written/seen.
> 
> Characters: Vegeta/Bulma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime before DBS. Party time :)

“Thank you all for coming,” Bulma said and grinned at her friends. They smiled back. Even Vegeta was smiling, an odd little slant that made his face…cheeky. That look made her oddly nervous. “It means a lot to have you all here.”

“Especially since the… _kitchen incident_ ,” Vegeta chimed in from the back. Bulma set her glass down and glared daggers at him. The smiles on her friends’ faces turned from simple cheer to curiosity.

“What kitchen incident?” Yamcha asked, suspiciously.

“Nothing.” Bulma raised her glass again.

“Was it yummy?” Goku asked.

“ _It was nothing!_ ”

Vegeta smirked. Bulma glowered. Bastard husband.


	23. That Happened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 23rd: That Happened - 200 words - It certainly didi! Gif Prompt  
> (http://imgur.com/cqGYt1A)
> 
> Characters: Dr Brief, Bulma, Scratch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set when Bulma is still sixteen, either just before or shortly after the start of Dragon Ball :)

“Bulma, dear, try not to panic.”

Dr Brief moved his cigarette to the other corner of his mouth and shielded his eyes as he looked up. His courtyard garden was oddly silent, the usual cries of his adopted pets noticeably absent. His most loved pet, Scratch, was padding about in a congenial fashion. The usually tiny cat was now enormous, easily dwarfing the doors he kept trying to bat open, and from his jaws swung the Brief’s only daughter.

“Don’t panic!? Dad, what part of this am I _not_ supposed to panic about!”

“Scratch just got in the way of one of my experimental lasers is all! He’ll put you down in a minute.”

“ _Experimental lasers!_ ” Bulma screamed as Scratch turned towards his owner’s voice. “ _DAD!!_ You promised to lock the cat out of your lab after last time!”

Scratch began to purr and dropped to the ground next to Dr Brief. Bulma scurried free as the giant cat gently butted his forehead against the old man’s arm.

“See! No need to panic.” Dr Brief started to tickle under Scratch’s chin, smiling as he rolled over.

“You’re the definition of a mad scientist, Dad,” Bulma huffed as she stormed out.


	24. Neighbours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 24th: Neighbours - 100 - There's something just a little bit odd about the new neighbours. You can't quite put your finger on it, but it's bothering you.
> 
> Characters: OC x2, Tien & Chiaotzu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime during the five years between DB and DBZ :) Tien and Chiaotzu start farming before moving to the Northern Wastes.

“Guav, those weirdos are out there again.” Duria twitched the curtains. “I think they’re… They’re moving in! Guav! What do we do!?”

Guav continued to read his newspaper.

“I suppose we could go offer a hand,” he said benignly. She offered a scathing look that he totally ignored. After a brief moment she turned back to the window.

“Guav! The mime kid is coming up to the door! What do we do!?”

Guav rolled his eyes, but got up as the bell rang. As he opened the door he was surprised that the ‘mime-kid’ his wife had referred to was indeed a pale skinned child with red circles for cheeks. The boy offered a pie and an awkward smile.

“Hi, I’m Chiaotzu and that’s Tien. We’re just moving into the farm next door. I made a pie…just…to say hi…” Chiaotzu faltered to a halt and started to blush. Guav smiled and took the pie.

“Thank you, that’s very kind. Do you need a hand moving in?”

Chiaotzu smiled widely and nodded. “Yes, thank you, that would be much appreciated."

Guav put the pie down inside and came out to help the boy and his three eyed friend. What nice boys.


	25. Dino-mite!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 25th: Dino-mite! - 300 words - Everything's better with Dinosaurs! You know what you have to do. ;)
> 
> Characters: Tien & Chiaotzu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also set when Tien and Chiaotzu were farmers, before DBZ.

Dinosaurs were a part of life in the rural north. They lived in the forests and lakes and rivers, avoiding humans where they could. Bands of young raptors stalked around the dairy farms, while slow-moving baby apatosaurs nosed around orchards.

Tien sighed quietly as he examined his crops. Farming was more of a training exercise than an actual livelihood for the two former Crane students, but the little injection of cash into their meagre budget was always appreciated.

He knelt and examined the beets closer, lifting them up and turning them over in his calloused hands. Ground, not bitten. Large areas spared between the small ground sections. The beet itself was actually untouched; only the leaves had been nibbled on.

_Chiaotzu, they got the beets._

_I know, Tien. It’s okay. She won’t do it again._

Tien straightened and frowned. She? Who was she? Chiaotzu was nowhere to be seen, which was odd. Reaching out telepathically located the boy in the wilderness behind their farm, deep in the forest.

_Chiaotzu…what are you hiding?_

_Nothing, Tien._

He could hear the embarrassment in his brother’s voice. Clearly ‘she’ was someone that Chiaotzu did not want Tien to meet. Interesting.

It didn’t take him long to find the boy in a small clearing in the middle of the forest. Chiaotzu was patting a young apatosaurus, which had arched its long neck over his shoulder and was nuzzling at the pockets of his surcoat.

“Chiaotzu, who’s this?”

Tien tried very hard not to smile.

“This is Manti,” Chiaotzu said, flushing as she nudged his elbow. “She’s an orphan. Like us. I…may have been feeding her beets…”

Tien sat beside Chiaotzu, who avoided his gaze. He held out one hand towards the apatosaurus as it purred curiously and nosed his palm.

“Nice to meet you, Manti.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm giving these boys a lot of pets that they do not keep canonically, but going back to multiverse theory I'm going to think that there is an alternate universe where Chiaotzu gets to keep Manti :)


	26. Left Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 26th: Left Turn - 100 words - A perfectly normal conversation takes a sudden left turn.
> 
> Characters: Vegeta/Bulma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime when Vegeta is a good-guy but still isn't great friends with Goku yet :)

“So, Vegeta, I’ve sorted out the gravity machine so it can do 500 times Earth’s gravity, we’re out of milk and eggs so I’ll go to the shop to get some, and also can you stop trying to kill my best friend?”

Vegeta, who had only half been paying attention, jolted. “Hmm?”

Bulma smiled at him with an odd nonchalance. “Goku thinks you’re just sparring but I can see where your punches are aiming and I’d appreciate you not trying to rip out my oldest friend’s heart to hold it, still beating, in front of his eyes. Okay?”

“Y-yes, dear…”


	27. Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 27th: Torture - 100 words - Use torture to break a character. Physical, psychological, (fluff)tickling, (smut)kinky, anything goes. Whether they end up sobbing in a corner or laughing while confessing they stole the last cookie, just find their limits.
> 
> Characters: 18, Cell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during the Cell Games when 18 has been absorbed to form Perfect Cell :(

She was exhausted. Physically. Emotionally. She was completely drained. And yet it didn’t stop. It would never stop. She’d realised that a long time ago. She was trapped in this hell and there was no way out.

The last thing she could remember was the shorty, Krillin, yelling out her name. Her number. His voice had broken just like her body as the monster absorbed her.

Now he was perfect. Her energy. Her form. It boosted his power. The tiny fragment of her consciousness that remained was pulled back and forth, torn asunder and clumsily reconstructed.

And she was exhausted.


	28. Quest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 28th: Quest - Super Saturday word count - - pay an escalation cost for each add on.  
> • 400 words - An epic adventure awaits! Your characters are looking for the MacGuffin that will save the world.  
> • +200 words - The mood is: desperate, resolute, and angry.  
> • +200 words - The MacGuffin is cursed in some amusing way.  
> • +200 words - This (http://i.imgur.com/HWRY0Rx.jpg) is your setting for today.
> 
> Characters: Tien & Dende
> 
> A sequel of sorts to an earlier Pint-Sized Prompt - After.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've returned to the world of my zombie AU! I had an idea for a sequel chapter that would write out of that whumpy Bolivian Army ending that the previous chapter had, and this prompt just fit it perfectly! So here is part two! Set shortly after the last one. Not in diary format, just standard writing style for me.
> 
> Also I didn't meet the second stretch goal but I used those 200 words anyway. Pls to forgive.

The sun was directly in his eyes. Red and orange, making the edge of the horizon glow like a furnace. Tien shielded his eyes, looked around at the vibrant green trees that peppered the grassy plain. It was around here somewhere. He just knew it.

One hand lifted the dragon radar and pressed the button, honing in on the one remaining dragon ball. The other six were tucked into his belt. His other hand lifted and carefully readjusted the purple cloth that was tied around his chest, pulled so tight he could barely breath.

The plain below him was deserted. There was no sign of the zombified human race. It was totally silent. The ball was close now. The radar in his hand was letting out small beeps with increasing frequency, so he started to drop his altitude.

A small hand snaked over his shoulder, gripped at his shirt. He grabbed that hand reflexively, cursing the immediate gut reaction of hope that accompanied the movement. The hand was green. Not white. It wasn’t Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu was dead. He had to remember that. Had to find the dragon balls. Had to fix this terrible mistake.

He could still remember returning to the cabin. He’d been so hopeful, so happy. The dragon radar and three dragon balls in his hands. A plan, a hope. It had burned in him so bright after the emptiness of previous excursions, the pain of finding their friends dead and vicious, of trying to reason with them, of killing them again. This had been a light in the darkness of his despair. A chance of fixing everything.

Chiaotzu had been gone. Blood had stained the snow outside. His brother’s body had been hidden near the mountain, bitten and cold. Tien’s heart had broken. Chiaotzu had been so alone and so afraid throughout the entire experience. They had only just sat down and talked it through. Come back to themselves almost. The grief had been unbearable.

It had been worse when he’d found Chiaotzu’s diary. Read the entries in their bitter hopelessness. The closing line. A line that had echoed in his mind, calling back to previous separations, and he had lost himself for a while.

After a long period of blackness where his mind had stopped working, he had looked for the Guardian of Earth. Dende had been curled up in bed. His skin had been pale green and his eyes sunken, his lips dry and cracked to the point of bleeding. Tien had gotten Dende up, forced the young Namekian to drink. The boy was still almost catatonic in his own grief, his own pain, so Tien couldn’t leave him behind. Hence the harness holding him to Tien’s back. 

“Tien…thank you…”

“It’s okay, Dende.” Tien didn’t even think as he responded. Dende had been saying that on and off during their search. Mostly after sleeping. He’d wake and be sort of okay for a moment, before slipping back into his daze. It wasn’t healthy. It was downright disturbing.

He landed in a clearing. Gently, keeping one hand linked with Dende’s, he loosened the harness and lowered the teenager to the ground. Dende wouldn’t let go of his hand until Tien crouched in front of him, murmured soothing words, carefully extricated his hands. He wished Chiaotzu was here. The telepath was so much better at soothing and comforting than Tien was.

Dende curled into a small ball, gripping his ankles and burying his face into his knees. He wasn’t going to move. Good. He would stay safe.

Tien started searching the small clearing. Eventually he found the dragon ball hidden in a collection of rocks. He put all seven together, watching for a moment as they glowed and pulsated a powerful orange. Dende was alive. The dragon would live. But it was closely connected to its creator. What if Dende’s grief and despair also affected the dragon?

He shook his head. Braced his mind. Pulled a handful of capsules from his pockets and held them gingerly in his hands. So light, yet such a heavy weight on his heart. He threw the capsules. Smoke filled the clearing. As it cleared a collection of glass coffins surrounded him and Dende. The twisted vicious faces of their dead friends were visible through the glass and Dende covered his eyes and let out a low despairing moan.

Tien raised his voice, called the incantation to summon the dragon. There was a prolonged moment of silence where the balls glowed and Tien’s body froze in fear. Then dark clouds rolled in. A deep roar shook the trees as the dragon emerged.

He made his two wishes. First to undo this terrible plague that had wiped out humanity. And second to bring back those who had been killed again after the plague had struck.

The lids of the coffins hissed up. Within his friends began to stir. He couldn’t wait. He couldn’t just stand there, dumb, as he had the first time.

As Piccolo sat up and Dende lunged for him, sobbing. As Krillin and 18 stirred and their hands found and linked with each other. As Trunks and Vegeta were swept into Bulma’s arms and Goten leapt into the embrace of Chichi and Goku. As Gohan shyly nudged his way beneath Piccolo’s arm and tightly embraced Dende. Tien ran to Chiaotzu’s coffin and lifted the small body into his arms. He watched, desperate and oddly afraid as the vicious bite marks slowly knitted together and healed into smooth new skin.

He held his breath and felt tears of relief burn in his eyes. Chiaotzu shifted, took a slow shuddering breath. His eyes opened and a weak smile tugged at his mouth.

“T-Tien?”

“Chiaotzu…” Tien hugged his brother close to his chest, sobbing like a small child, unable to stop the smile that spread through his tears as Chiaotzu’s hands lifted and twisted into his shirt. “I love you, little brother. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

“Love you…Tien…”


	29. Clock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 29th: Clock - 100 words - Image Prompt (http://i.imgur.com/2eIWz0A.jpg)
> 
> Characters: Dende

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after DBZ when Goku is still alive and enjoys training in the time chamber!
> 
> The time chamber is a room on the Lookout where you can spend a whole year while only a day passes in the world outside.

“Well crap.”

Dende put his hands on his hips and looked at the entrance to the time chamber. Goku had just completed another training holiday, and in his wake he had totally shattered the central mechanism that warped time.

The large hourglass in the centre of the room had cracked. Sparkling sand was spilling out, mystical energy radiating from it. Over the door sat a large clock. Cogs lay shattered on the floor, odd waves of time sloshing against it.

“Goku owes me for this,” Dende grumbled, unfolding a stepladder and starting to climb. This would take forever to fix.


	30. Mer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 30th: Mer - 100 words - Why do these things keep happening?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mermaids are canonically a thing in Dragon Ball, they just look like regular people. I didn't want to go too indepth...
> 
> So this is set after the Cell Games when 18 is living with Krillin in Kame House. I imagine she'd miss female company, so make a friend :P

18 stood in the waves, feeling the surge of the ocean pulling at her legs. Gathering a ball of energy in her hands she fired small blasts into the calm ocean, tapping out a message into the deep water. Then she crossed her arms, and waited.

“18!”

She smiled. A woman was swimming towards her, waving, her purple hair fanning out behind her and her green eyes sparkling.

“Long time no see.” 18 sat down in the waves, smiling as the mermaid swam up beside her and began sunning her strong purple tail. It was always so nice catching up.


	31. Fatigued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 31st: Fatigued - 300 words - This is the end, but so is this... and this one! Welcome to Ending Fatigue.
> 
> Characters: Goku, Gohan/Videl, Tien & Chiaotzu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime after the Buu Saga.

“Perfect, an excellent solution to the problem.” Goku grinned and patted his son on the back. Gohan smiled sheepishly and nodded.

“Yeah, dad. We really showed that monster. And it’s a good thing Bulma had already gathered up all of the dragon balls ready to wish back Yamcha. That was super unlucky…”

He trailed off awkwardly. Goku nodded and sighed. “Poor Yamcha.”

“Dad, I’ve gotta go. I’ll be back in a bit, okay?”

“Okay. Good on you, son.” Gohan blinked in shock as Goku wrapped his arms around him, pulled him close. “Love you, Gohan. I’m so proud of you.”

“Uh, thanks, dad.” Gohan extricated himself with some difficulty, grinned, then flew off the Lookout. He flew all the way to the Satan mansion, rehearsing in his head what he would say, but when the door opened and Videl blinked up at him he lost his words. “Uh…hi, Videl.”

“Hi, Gohan.” She smiled shyly up at him. Ridiculous. Videl didn’t do anything shyly. She was the strongest, bravest, most confident person he knew. And yet there it was, a shy little curve of her lips. Unable to find the words, he just bent and kissed that curve, his lips moulding to hers. She took a short intake of breath but threw her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss herself. Perfect. He loved her so, so much.

In the frozen north a blizzard blasted around a small cabin nestled close to a mountain. The windows glowed from within with a warm crackling light. Inside Tien and Chiaotzu sat before the fire, the telepath holding out a poker with several large marshmallows impaled upon it.

“Tien…why didn’t we go help?” he asked.

Tien leaned back, shrugged. “They did just fine without us.”

Chiaotzu nodded. “Can’t wait for the celebration party…”


End file.
